One Last Pint
by LegendaryStarCat
Summary: Is peace of mind worth talking to an old ex? It's not like Kitty Pryde makes great decisions anyway, especially when it comes to Pete Wisdom.


He had been attempting to enjoy a pint of his favorite lager. He had manager to time his pub visit just right, avoiding the soccer hooligans wrapping up their ruckus celebration from a successful match (or a devastating defeat?, he never could tell) by mere minutes, but making it early enough to acquire the choice seat before the old codgers that were also regulars took it.

But all of Pete Wisdom's perfectly planned afternoon was ruined by a bright flash next to his secluded booth in the pub. He look up from the foamy head of his drink and sighed, weary. Two women stood before him, silhouetted by the dim bar light above him, one all sharp angles, and the other a soft figure that made him misty for nostalgic days gone past.

"Pryde." He inclined his head gently. "Magik." His voice grew a little colder with the latter name. He didn't care for the Russian, even now, so Pete was weary of his waifish sister, who was probably more dangerous than the lumbering metal-man.

"Pete." Kitty smiled, soft and sad, like every smile she had given him since the last time they were together on Muir, and sat at the booth. "Do you mind?"

He shrugged. "As they say in the states, 'free country,' right?"

Illyana turned to Kitty and curtly whispered, "I'll be back in an hour." She narrowed her eyes in Pete's direction. "Or sooner." With that, a shining ball of blue light enveloped her and she vanished.

Kitty let out a breath, and slumped at the table, resting on her elbows. He couldn't keep himself from commenting. "Does she always put you on edge like that, Pryde?"

"Not always." She brushed a stand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "But this has been a rough week."

He nodded. "I heard about Hank."

"Oh?" Kitty seemed a little surprised.

He shrugged. "I have dinner with Meggan and Brian when I can, Betsy gossips with them weekly. Brian had some choice words about what had happened, to say the least."

Kitty snorted. "I'm sure he did. Which is a bit ironic, considering all our space-time capers in Excalibur."

Pete shrugged. "That was before my time. Or I got excluded in favor of big steel and blue fuzzy." He smirked as Kitty rolled her eyes. "So time travel drama aside, why, exactly, are you here in the cold, gray city I love?"

Kitty went quiet, her playful smile dropping slightly. "I'm...I'm trying to do this thing for myself..."

It was his turn to coax information out. "Oh?"

"You know, make amends..." she was tight lipped, uncomfortable.

"Are you in a twelve step or something? I never woulda thought...your so small...you never could hold your pints."

She sighed, but the smile crept back to her lips, and Pete felt his heart swell, just as it always had when she smiled at him. "Very funny. No, I'm trying to make up to the people I loved...and acted like a jerk towards."

"Ah, so your trying to apologize for all the bad boyfriends you picked?"

She rolled her eyes again, voice thick with sarcasm. "Yeah, right, I'm on the bad decision apology world tour."

Pete rolled his eyes with the subtlety of a freight train rushing by. "Luv, you..."

She held up her hand, silencing him. "Look, I don't need to be comforted. What we had was...amazing when it was good, but...we both made mistakes. So I'm sorry if I took it out on you. I know...if things were different..."

It was his turn to silence her. "Let's not talk any 'ifs,' it won't help either of us. Why are you really doing this?"

Kitty crossed her arms and squinted one eye, thinking what to say next, Pete knew. "I'm...engaged."

Pete's mouth fell open. "No shit," he said, the same time as Kitty squinted both eyes and said "sorta."

They both fell quiet, before Pete raises an eyebrow and snorted. "Sorta? The Pryde I know doesn't go into things half cocked."

She smiled. "Well the Wisdom I know doesn't sit around weeping into his beer...oh wait, yes he does."

He laughed. "Seriously, what's up with this 'sorta' nonsense you're spouting?"

She look down, her shoulders bunching around her neck. "I'm...I'm not sure I'm ready to be married. I mean, just yet."

He nodded, drinking thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I've been married, but...I wouldn't exactly say it was a story book relationship."

"Shocker."

He gave her a look and she held up her hands, mutely promising she would be quiet. "Look, when you're ready, you make the choice. If you love the bloke, if you're where you want to be in your life, that's a big deal. Be engaged, don't be engaged, what the word means is up to you."

She nodded thoughtfully.

He couldn't help himself with the next question, "is it the Russian?"

She burst out laughing for a moment, "oy, god no."

He smirked. "Good. And not Kurt or Doug or, god forbid, Lockheed?"

She snorted, smiling at him. "No, no, and he's a dragon, I don't think that's even legal!"

He mock sighed with relief. "Ok, then...?"

"It's...a guy named Peter."

"Shocker that, eh?"

She shot him a deadpan look. "And he's from space."

"Wow, you've really been going out of your comfort zone!" Though he meant it mocking, it came out sincere. He had known about the bullet; he had tried to think of a way to bring her home.

She shrugged. "He's a good guy, Wisdom. I do...I do really love him."

He finished his beer. "Did you come here looking for my blessing, Pryde?"

She went silent, avoiding eye contact by staring at the wood grain of the table.

Setting his glass down, Pete stood up, taking her hand to give it a soft squeeze. "I just want you to be happy." He dropped her hand and pulled his coat on, turning away from the booth. "We all do."

He left then, not turning back, not wanting Kitty to see his heart break just a little bit more as he walked away.


End file.
